Combination salt and pepper shaker



Sept. 1933- l R. w. PITTMAN COMBINATION SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER Filed April 16, 1932 Patented Sept. 12, 1933 ootmmATIoN SALT AND rnrrnn it i.

Beinhart W. Pitt, New York, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1932. Serial No. iitbfitd 6 Claims. (or. -45

This invention relates to salt and pepper shakers, and more particularly to a combination device whereby a single container having a dividing wall therein will provide a double com partment, one for the salt and the other for pepper, the contents of either compartment being discharged through one andthe same outlet controlled by a movable deflector plate.

The primary object of my inventionis to provide a device of this character that is simple in construction and reliable in its action.

Another object is to provide a device whereby the compartments may be readily filled by simply removing a closure cap,'that is slidably connected with the container top, which not only closes the container but serves to hold the deflector plate to its seat on which the plate swings, and further said cap holds in operative relation therewith an actuator member by means of which the deflector plate is shifted from one side to the other from outside the c.

Other objects will be disclosed in the following description and fully pointed out in the accompanying drawing of which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the device, the closure cap being shown partly removed to show the deflector plate and the actuator member in position below the cap.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the container.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the deflector plate.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the actuator member.

Figs. '7 and 8 are modifications showingslight alterations to provide closure means for the cap perforations.

Fig. 9 is aview oi. a moulded container.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, I provide a casing 2 that may be constructed of any suitable material, as one integral part, or may be formed of sheet material of several separate members joined together to provide preferably a rectangular casing having side walls 3 and 3 that are of greater width at the bottom than at the top, and end walls 4 and 4' these being of even width and thereby the interior of the casing is approximately square at the top but at the bottom the interior is increased due to the tapering walls 3 and 3', providing more room at the bottom of the container and princi; ally adding to the appearance of the device. Between the walls and centrally thereof is a wall 5 in the nature of a partition that extends from the bottom of the container to a point terminating some distance below the open top of the con- .stood by reference to Fig. 3.

tainer, and the top edge of the wall has a rounded seat 6 to receive oppositely bent lips I oi a defiector plate 8, the function of which is to rock on this seat, as a iulc point so the upper free end or the lat ma swing roin one side of the c to the other and provide thereby a continuation of the partition to the top of the c :1. f1! compartments each side thereof as P and S. The top end of the deflector, when so positioned on its wt 6 will circurna scribe an arc of a circle, as be readily under-' e sides 9-9 of the deflector i'lt closely between the side walls 3 and 3' to prevent particles from one compartment entering the other, the top edges in of the m side walls 3 and 3 of the container are curved to correspond with the arc oi movement of the top edge ll of the deflector and thereby prevent it of the contents over the top edge, when the closure cap is in position on the container, which will he presently described. The bottom of the center, is permanently closed by a cupped platelZ or in any other well lino 311m it nor, as here shown fitting into ofiset edges 13 of the side walls of the container. While I have so shown my device made of sheet metal, it will be understood the container may he made of one integral member or any suitable material that can be molded into shape, such as glass, see

Fig. 9. v

It will be here seen, the shape and the design of the container may be varied, so long as the upper portion has the side walls to permit the swinging of a deflector'plate between the same, and the top edges curved to conform to the arc traversed by the top edge of the deflector plate, the lower part of the casing may be round, or of any other shape.

To provide a simple means to serve'as a removable closure cap, whereby the filling of one or the other compartment may be readily accomplished, and at the same time when in position on the casing to hold the deflector plate to its seat together with an actuator for the same held in its operative position with the plate to enable the shifting of the deflector from side to side thereof or to intermediate positions from the outside of the casing, I provide a sli cap M. the top having the same curvature as the top-ll) oi the casing I walls 3 and 3' and provided with inturned edges 15-15 that engage the edges 16 of the walls 4 and 4' that are bent outward and form runways enabling the cap to be removed or placed in position by sliding'the same end-rwise, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted the-soap. 14 slides 11 curved upward so the cap may be readily entered,

and when removing, the lip is simply pushedwith the thumb and then the flange 18 may be grasped to pull the cap away. i

To enable the shifting of the deflector plate an actuator 19, before referred to, is provided, see Figs. 2, 3 and 5, in the form of a curved bar having a slot 20 at its center underside that coacts with a slot 21 of the deflector plate. These slots are so arranged that when the bar is in position on the plate, the top 22 of the bar is flush with the top of the plate, see Fig. 2 This top portion 22 extends each side of the slot 20 a short distance to provide stops 23 and 24 that will limit the movement of the deflector plate as the actuator is pushed from side to side, the bar is guided in slots 25 and 25 of the casing and are of a depth to let the bar ride thereon so the top 22. will have a slight friction under the cap.v The ends of the bar are reduced as at 26 so that the edges 15 of" the cap ride over this reducedportion and serve to hold the bar in place yet free to shift from side to side against the stops 23 and 24 carrying the deflector with it by reason of the slotted connection. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the deflector plate, due to the stops 23 and 24 of the actuator limits the full swing of the plate from side to side when the actuator is in position on the plate, thereby providing only, enough motion of the deflector plate to swing to each side of the perforations 29 of the cap. When the cap is removed however, and the actuator lifted out of engagement with the plate, the-plate may then be shifted the full swing from side to'side of the casing, which is done when filling the compartments, as will be readily understood. The bar has ball shaped ends 28 which are pushed by the thumb in either direction. The cap 14 has holes 29 along its center portion through which the contents from either compartment may be discharged, depending of course on the position of the deflector plate. It will be seen that when the deflector is moved fully to one side, the contents of one compartment is closed to the outlets 29 and the other is fully open thereto, and when the deflector plate is central then both compartments are open to the outlets, enabling ,the operator to sprinkle separately the contents from either-compartment or to sprinkle from both.

In Fig. l, I show a slight modification of the cap, whereby I may close the openings 29 to keep the dampness from entering the casing by supplying a supplemental cap 30 in the form of a slide fitted over the holes 29, riding between lugs 31 stamped from the cap 14, the cap 30 having holes 32 that will register with the holes 29 in one position thereof, and by shifting the cap 30 to one side the holes will be closed. The supplemental cap may be shifted by projecting ears 33 and 33'. at each end of the cap.

In Fig. 8 also a modification, I may close the openings 29 with-the deflector plate, when this is in its center position, by providing the plate with a bent over portion 35 to form a lap of suflicient width to close the holes 29 at its center position, and at its end positions to be open to one or the other of the compartments. This hentportion 35 may also be perforated with perforations 36 that on the exact registrations with the cap perforations 29 will open the same to both compartments, then by shifting the plate slightly one way or the other the holes will be closed.

From the foregoing it will be seen I have devised a simple device capable of being produced at a low cost and embodying features that adapt the one container for. sprinkling either salt or cap to exclude dampness from the contents of the container, the supplemental slide on the cap as in Fig. I'may be shifted to close the perforations, or the deflector plate with its perforated bent end as in Fig. 8 that will close the perforations when this plate is approximately in its central position, or open to discharge through the perforations 36 therein when registering with its perforations of 29 of the cap.

What I claim is:

1. A salt and pepper shaker comprising 9. casing provided with a central wall therein forming two compartments, which wall extends upward from the bottom with a rounded top edge, a defiector plate having oppositely disposed lugs arranged to straddle and swing on said central wall edge to enable the shifting of its top edge from one side to the other of the casing, an actuator connected with the top of the plate by interlocking slotted portions of both plate and actuator, the actuator having its ends extending outside of the casing to shift the plate from side to side and a closure cap removably attached to the top of the casing and arranged to retain said plate and said actuator in operative positions.

2. A salt and pepper shaker comprising 9. casing provided with a central wall therein forming to compartments, which wall extends upward from the bottom with a rounded top edge, a de-' flector plate having oppositely disposed lugs arranged to straddle and swing on said central wall edge to shift its top edge from one side to the other of the casing to enable the filling of said compartments, an actuator removably connected with the top of the plate by an interlocking slotted portion of both plate and actuator and having the ends of the actuator extending outside of the casing for shifting the plate from side to side, stop faces on said actuator to limit the movement of the plate when in position on the plate, and a closure cap removably attached to the top of the casing, the inner face of which is curved to con-= form to the arc of motion of the top plate edge and arranged to hold said plate in a scraping contact therewith and said actuator in operative relation, the cap being provided with perforations along the center portion through which the contents can be discharged from eitherone of said compartments or from both simultaneously.

3. A salt and pepper shaker comprising 2. casing provided with a central wall therein forming two compartments which wall extends upward from the bottom with a rounded top edge, a defiector plate arranged to swing on said middle wall edge to shift its top edge from one side to the other of the casing, an actuator connected with the plate and having its ends extending outside of the casing to shift the plate from side to side, and a closure cap removably attached to the top of the casing and arranged to retain said iii?) lllil 

